Building a composite deck of any size on your property is a daunting task. Composite decking contractors such as Deckorum have professionals who help them do it.
However, if you are going to be building the deck on your own, you will need to do some calculations. You may also want to know how to do the calculations if you’re going to pay the right price and order adequate materials for the job.
Many of the things you will need will you will acquire after the substructure is complete. However, you will need to know how much of the metal or wooden framing you will require for the job.
The composite decking job requirements will depend on what you want the finished project to be. Therefore, having accurate and detailed plans will ensure that you acquire all the necessary elements before construction begins.
The most important factors that you will need to calculate are the number of boards, the length of the panels, and the number of screws as well as hidden fasteners.
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Square Footage
The first thing you will need to calculate is the total square footage of the deck. Once that is decided, the rest is relatively easy to calculate.
If you are building a simple rectangular or square deck, all you need to do is multiply the width and the length of the deck. If it is a different shape, particularly an irregular one, calculating the square footage will be more complicated.
Once you have decided on the total amount of square footage the deck will cover, you can decide on the board sizes.
Board Size
Composite decking boards are typically rectangular. The majority of contractors will identify decking planks by length.
However, it is more accurate and convenient to determine the board size using square footage, just as with the deck itself.
For example, if your deck’s total square footage is 200 square feet, you will require 20 boards measuring 10 square feet each. That means that the board’s dimensions should amount to 10 square feet, which may involve two by 5 square feet or 2.5 by 4 square feet, among others.
Decking Angle
The decking angle will also influence the amount and size of the decking boards you acquire. There are typically two decking angles used to construct composite decks, which are 90o to joist and 45o to joist.
The decking angle is what determines the direction in which you will view the decking boards once laid. Decking boards with an angle of 90o to joist are horizontal, while those with an angle of 45o to joist are diagonal or slanted.
Waste
You will also need to account for wastage when calculating your composite decking requirements. Composite decking boards with a decking angle of 45o to joist produce about 10 to 15 percent more waste than those with a slope of 90o to joist.
After you account for all the above factors, you should have enough material to complete constructing your composite deck. A decking calculator will be extremely helpful in this regard.